PJCE Presents Chris Clark-Johnson Album Release

Sat, Nov 16

TICKETS $20 | 21+ PLEASE Chris Clark-Johnson's First Frontier is a captivating debut album that invites listeners into a sonic landscape both familiar and fresh. The full-length album is is a bold statement of arrival from a young guitarist and composer whose music is as deeply rooted in tradition as it is forward-thinking. Recorded over two sessions six months apart, this debut album showcases Clark-Johnson’s ability to blend the harmonic richness of jazz with the rhythmic vitality of Black American music. Joining Clark-Johnson is his core quartet, comprised of Paul Moyer (piano and keyboards), Arte Adams (bass), and Noah Mortola (drums), and appearing on several tracks is the distinctive voice of Olivia Fields (saxophones). The resulting landscape is a powerful and playful combination of some of Portland’s most exciting young voices in the music. Chris Clark-Johnson is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Seattle, WA. Based in‬ ‭ American traditions of improvisation and composition, his music draws on global influences‬ ‭ and aims to inspire radical joy, understanding, and reflection. From Seattle guitar legend‬ ‭ Danny Godinez and European-based songwriter Camille Bloom to Portland jazz mainstays‬ ‭ Dan Balmer and Alan Jones, Clark-Johnson counts a wide range of unique voices in music‬ ‭ as mentors past and present, and hopes to pass along any knowledge and insight he's‬ ‭ gained to others through his music and teaching.